The board’s resolution says that more than $1 billion in “unnecessary tax breaks to oil and gas companies in the last three years alone have been a contributing factor to the decreased education budget and recurring revenue failures… Eliminating these tax breaks and returning the Gross Production Tax to the historic levels of 7 percent would yield approximately $500 million in 2018.”

The resolution says seven percent would not affect oil and gas drilling, since it is either equal to or less than other states.

The gross production tax in Texas is seven percent, while North Dakota’s is around 10 percent.